


Free to a Good Home

by TirNanOg89



Category: Buffy the Vampire Slayer (TV), Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Murdoch Mysteries, Person of Interest (TV), Primeval, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Lord of the Rings - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: Other
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-03
Updated: 2019-09-03
Packaged: 2020-10-06 15:28:05
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 17,240
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20509259
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TirNanOg89/pseuds/TirNanOg89
Summary: Each chapter is a separate WIP I just can't finish. If anyone wants to take any of them further please just put a link in the comments so I can come read them! ;-)





	1. Murdoch/Harry Potter

Murdoch/Harry Xover

Rating: FRM (to be safe, probably FRA)  
Fandom: Murdoch Mysteries & Harry Potter  
Summery: William finds his self somewhere completely unexpected. Set During book six, 'The Half Blood Prince' and Series 4, E 12 of Murdoch, then AU. Time lines have been played with to fit in with my whims, set in 2008.  
Prologue

As William Murdoch raced down another dark alley in pursuit of a murderer, he could only hope that George and the others would not catch up with him until after he had secured the man. Though he knew full well that they could handle themselves just fine with most criminals, they weren't equipped to deal with magic.  
The Jesuits that had raised William had taught him many things beyond reading, writing and deductive reasoning. Though he was a fully trained and, according to the priests, adequate wizard, this was the first time since he joined the Toronto Constabulary that he had come across another of his kind.  
The moment he had seen that first flash of colour flying towards him he knew his colleagues could not be allowed near this man. Why the man was using a wand, when he had obviously moved beyond the minor spells William was first taught as a child with the aid of such a restrictive tool, was beyond him.  
All he needed was a clear line of sight and he would bring the man down, but he was obviously wily enough to know that. As he rounded a corner into what he knew was a dead end, he slowed and braced himself. A rat was at its most dangerous when cornered after all.  
As expected the man was stood at the end of the alley in what William remembered as a childhood duelling stance. The dichotomy of the wizards’ behaviour and his level of spells was intriguing, but he didn’t let it distract him.  
The man shouted ‘Expelliamus’ at him in a distinct English accent and with that William swept his arm in front of himself in an arc, raising a medium powered shield. He realised that the man must assume that he was using a wand too and hoped to gain the advantage by disarming him.  
Though this was still confusing, only a small portion of his mind was dedicated to it, leaving the rest to defend and consider his own attack. The man was obviously angry at the lack of affect his spell had had, and he started to throw curses and hexes at William in an unordered and almost useless manner.  
William blocked or deflected everything thrown at him as he had been taught and was waiting for an opportune moment to attack back. He was very conscious that every moment spent here was a moment closer to his colleagues getting caught in the battle and finding out his secret.  
Though William was far from ashamed of what he was, he knew it was considered unacceptable in ‘polite’ society, like many other things about him.  
The man was visibly getting angrier and he knew it would not be long before he made a mistake, he just didn’t realise how big a mistake it would be.  
William had not heard the spell before, but from the shocking green colour as it flew towards him he knew it was a spell of ill intent. He had no time or space to dodge the spell, so was left to attempt to deflect it, as he was sure he would not be able to block it.  
He threw up the best shield he knew, knowing it would soon drain him, and at the same time sent what he considered a 'decoy' towards the spell and crouched down as small as he could to give the shield less to cover, hoping to escape as much of what was left of the spell as possible.  
As he waited what seemed to be eons for the spell to impact he instinctively threw his arms up in front of his face. He was soon glad he had done so, as an incalculably bright flash and a deafening boom shattered the air in the alley as the three spells impacted.  
His last thought, as the darkness over took him, was a hope that his friends had not been hurt.  
***  
William would never know that George and the others arrived just moments after the explosion, and while they were knocked off their feet, they faired much better than the man they were chasing, he hadn't been shielded, and he hadn't thought to try to duck, and he had never even conceived of a decoy spell, so he was hit with the full force of the combined spells. They had to scrape his remains off the walls, what little there was.

Chapter One

“As I have no idea what happened to him, or when, I cannot possibly tell you when he might wake up Albus, there is no point you coming down here every twenty minutes to ask again!”  
William remained still and kept his breathing deep and even as if still asleep. He remembered waking up disoriented and not having a clue where he was once before, but at least this time he knew ‘who’ he was. And to stay away from alcohol, that particular experience had only reinforced his belief that alcohol was a ‘bad’ thing.  
He had woken, obviously in a bed, to the soft bustling sounds of someone, probably female, wandering around only moments before a door opened and the women spoke.  
“Ah my dear Poppy, I don’t mean to trouble you, but I must admit I am eager to speak to the gentleman. And I have not come down every twenty minutes since the day of his arrival. This is, in fact, only the second time I have come down today.”  
William could hear the smile in Albus’ voice, but also caught a slight undertone of something not so pleasant. It was the kind of observation, he’d learnt long since from the Jesuits, which most people would not pick up on. The head of the order had finally concluded that William was at least a little empathic, and this affected his minds translation of all his senses, especially concerning other people.  
That which would probably have left him an outcast as a child anywhere but with the Jesuits, made him an almost inhumanely good detective. It also left his mind all but unreadable to even the best Legilimens the order had.  
The sheer volume of thoughts, feelings and sensory input, going through his mind at any one time was too much for anyone else he had ever met to be able to hold any connection from their mind to his. As William was born with these abilities, a connection could be formed if he purposely held back all but his most superficial thoughts.  
As William did not share Albus wish to talk, he continued to feign sleep until he was sure the man was gone. Once he considered it safe he let himself drift back off to sleep wondering how long he had been here.  
The next time he awoke to the door opening, he heard a small group of young voices all clamouring to tell Poppy what had happened at once. Poppy hushed them all sternly but kindly and asked one of the girls called Hermione to explain.  
“They were practicing for the match on Saturday; Harry was practicing one of his insane tricks.”  
“It’s a Wronski Feint!”  
Interrupted a young mans voice, the girl huffed and continued.  
“Thank you, Ronald,! And someone hit a bludger straight at the end of his broom, right as he was about to pull up. I think at least his arm is broken, he’s just lucky it wasn’t his neck as well.”  
Poppy seemed to be a kindly but no-nonsense sort of Matron and thanked them all for bringing him in, before sending them all back out of the room with instructions to ask Professor Snape to pay her a visit, as soon as it was convenient.  
This was an interesting and informative conversation for William. He now knew he was in the company of wizards and most likely in a school, and if he wasn’t mistaken, in England, at least all of those had heard speak so far were English. How he had gotten there and where exactly “there” was, was still a mystery.  
He could still hear Poppy tutting and sighing over the boy, Harry, muttering under her breath and performing diagnostic spells. The boy was apparently unconscious, but she didn’t sound so much distressed as fondly exasperated, he imagined the boy was a semi regular visitor at least.  
About half an hour after the children had left the door opened again, admitting a man with a long purposeful stride.  
“Madam Pomfrey, what has the fool child done now?”  
“Just a quiditch accident Severus, nothing disastrous. I just thought it would be a good time to let you know I need a re-stock on a few potions, including the nutrition potions for our friend here, I have a list for you. I also thought it would be a perfect opportunity for a chat. You, my friend, are working too hard! You need to sit down with me, have a nice cup of tea and a chat!”  
William heard the man, Severus, sigh, he did sound tired.  
“Poppy, you know I have little choice right now, between the Dark Lord and Dumbledore I have little enough time to teach the little dunderheads let alone sleep! Him I can understand, but I would have thought the Headmaster would be a little more considerate.”  
“Severus, you and I both know better! That man considers nothing other than his ‘greater good’!”  
“Indeed, you would think after getting taken in by Voldemort I would have known better than to be taken in by him as well. Merlin! I was such a fool for so many years!”  
“Yes, and we both know why, so there’s no need to beat yourself up over it again. I called you up here to cheer you up not depress you further, so I’ll have no more of that thank you! Now, what are we going to do with our friend here? I like to think he is a model! Preferably swim suits!”  
“Poppy!”  
William couldn’t help but agree with Severus exclamation, and couldn’t help the flush of colour that suffused his cheeks in sheer mortification. Severus obviously noticed.  
“Well, it seems we may find out sooner than we thought Poppy. I think, if his embarrassment is anything to go by, that our friend is awake.”  
William opened his eyes, there was no point pretending any longer, and finally put faces to two of the voices he had been listening to. Poppy, who was already rushing to check him over, looked as she sounded, kindly but steadfast, with a matronly air about her that spoke of competence and confidence. Severus was tall and stern looking with deep black eyes and shoulder length black hair. His nose was prominent, and regal looking and only added to his air of confidence and superiority. His appearance was seemingly designed to intimidate but William never took appearances at face value, and didn’t intend to start now, especially after the conversation he had just overheard.  
“I apologise, I did not want to interrupt.”  
William’s voice, though a little hoarse from disuse, was low and gentle, his soft deep brown doe eyes just adding to the ‘butter wouldn’t melt’ puppy image. Poppy immediately shushed him and continued her scans before nodding her head in satisfaction and telling Severus to ‘stop scowling and help me sit him up’. William demurred but soon kept his peace at a raised eyebrow from the witch, and once they had him propped up she passed him a glass of water.  
“Now then, young man, what can you tell us about what happened?”  
William frowned slightly in confusion.  
“How do you mean Ma’am?”  
“Silly boy, you may call me Poppy, I’m the school nurse, and this is Severus, our Potions Master. Now, let’s start at the beginning and work our way from there. What is your name, and you don’t sound English Lad?”  
“My apologies Miss Poppy. I am Detective William Murdoch of the Toronto Constabulary, and I am Canadian.”  
Poppy and Severus shared a quizzical look then turned back to him.  
“What were you doing in the Forbidden Forest?”  
“Severus! William has just woken from over two weeks in a magically induced coma! Try a little of that tact I know you hide in there!”  
“Two weeks?”  
William couldn’t help but ask. It felt like only moments ago, mere hours at most. They both looked at him again.  
“Yes dear, you've been here two weeks, I’m sorry but I had no idea what had happened to you so I couldn’t give you anything, in case it reacted badly.”  
“No, no, Miss Poppy, I am sure your care has been exemplary, and I thank you for your hospitality and help, I was merely startled at the time difference when it feels like it happened mere moments ago.”  
“You remember what happened then? You can tell us why you were in the forest?”  
Severus was less abrupt, earning him a smile from Poppy, but a confused look from William.  
“What forest? I mean, you said the Forbidden Forest, but last I remember I was in a back street of Toronto, battling a wizard that had committed heinous crimes against four women.”  
Poppy and Severus looked at each other again in shock, then back to him.  
“You were found in the forest just outside of Hogwarts grounds, which is where you are, by the Grounds Keeper. He bought you in to be taken care of when he couldn’t wake you. We searched the area after, but we couldn’t find your wand.”  
It was William’s turn to look confused again.  
“Wand?”  
The looks between Poppy and Severus were getting more and more confused and prolonged, as if they were conversing with their eyes as only long term, close companions could.  
“You are a wizard, aren’t you?”  
“Well, yes. The Father said I had earned that title when I graduated.”  
“The Father?”  
“Yes, the head of the Order. When I left University, I was fully qualified in many areas.”  
“Ok! Just a moment Severus, let’s get back to the issue at hand, shall we? You said you were in Toronto, Canada, fighting another wizard, and then you woke up here? So what happened in between? And what is the last thing you remember?”  
William thought about this for a moment, and then nodded.  
“That is it in short Miss Poppy, and though I cannot answer the first question, I can be of some help with the second. Though I am afraid I cannot tell you exactly what happened in those last moments...”  
Severus sneered at him and cut him off.  
“Can’t or won’t?”  
William gave him a small, slightly concerned, smile.  
“I apologise Master Snape, I cannot, as I didn’t recognise the last spell he sent at me. We had battled for a long while, but that last spell made me considerably uneasy. Because of this I used my most formidable shield as well as a decoy spell to try and mitigate the effects, should it penetrate the shield. I am glad I did for I believe it tore through it with less effect than I would have hoped. As I said, I did not hear him properly, nor recognise it, but the colour was quite distinctive, and I have never seen its like before, it was a bright vibrant green and I believe it began ‘Avah’.  
Both of them listened avidly as he recounted his tale, but when he mentioned the colour of the spell and what little he thought he had heard of the casting words they had paled and were both ashen by then end.  
“But that’s impossible! It can’t be! What shield did you use? What decoy? It couldn’t happen! No shield can stand up to it!”  
“Severus! Calm down! What possible reason could he have for making it up? Besides, he’s Canadian, they don’t lie!”  
William turned a baffled and slightly amused look on Poppy.  
“Miss Poppy, if that were true I would have had a much quieter and easier time of the last several years, I do work for the Toronto Constabulary, we are kept very busy by all manner of falsehoods.”  
Poppy waved his comments aside.  
“Don’t be precocious young man, you know what I meant!”  
Severus had a slight smirk on his face as he continued.  
“Indeed, it also does not answer any of my questions Detective Murdoch.”  
“Again, I apologise Master Snape, the shield was a high level ‘Protego’ and I am afraid the decoy has no name, I never associated a word with it, I merely use it when necessary. And as to the other, as I still don’t know what spell it was, I could not comment.”  
“You never...? you mean you made up a spell and didn’t even name it? What incantation do you use? What wand movement? You don’t just ‘use’ a spell like that!”  
“Why not?”  
William was truly stunned and confused by Snape’s words and his apparent ire. He did not understand why Severus was confused, for he plainly was, by such a common occurrence.  
“I was always encouraged to do so by Father McManus. He always said that others work could only take you so far, then you had to start thinking for yourself. Do you not teach the same way here in your school?”  
Severus was struck dumb in shock. This man just went around making things up as he went along! Which, when you thought about it, did sound quite handy, but also near impossible! Only the greatest of spellsmiths created new spells, and they spent years doing it!  
“And again, we are completely off topic! William, how do you feel? Any stiffness, soreness, aching, itching, dizziness? Anything not normal for you?”  
William slowly broke eye contact with Severus and turned to the witch with a small grateful smile.  
“Thank you, Miss Poppy, I feel a little out of sorts but that is to be expected. I still find it hard to comprehend that I was in a coma for two weeks. And I would like to know how I got to your forest too. Two weeks, that would make it June 16th, I have missed Julia’s wedding.”  
The last was said so forlornly that Poppy almost hugged him, and Severus frowned.  
“It is January 6th, did you hit your head at all?”  
Poppy frowned at him again and he almost rolled his eyes.  
“Not that I recall. But if it is indeed January then what has happened to, and in, the last six months? What will Julia think? George must be frantic if I just disappeared for six months. I must get a telegram or letter to them immediately! And I thought this time would be easier!”  
“I am no muggle expert, but did not the use of telegrams go out of commission decades ago? And what do you mean, this time?”  
William looked back to him again in confusion.  
“Muggle?”  
“Non-wizard.”  
“Ah. Yes, I suffered a rather damaging blow to the head a few years ago; I lost all memory of my self and, eventually ended up in Bristol, England where I finally regained my memory. It was a trying time for me, as I’m sure you can imagine. Telegrams have not yet been ‘in’ commission for decades, I think it would be useful if you would tell me the date in full. I fear there is more going on here than we have yet to discover.”  
Severus and Poppy shared another telling look before Severus replied.  
“It is January 6th, 2008.”  
“Oh. Oh my. Do I take it you have some kind of proof of this? I am not merely to take your word for it? I mean no offence but that is beyond credulity.”  
Severus and Poppy shared ‘another’ telling look before Severus replied again.  
“I’m sure I can find a newspaper in the office. If you don’t mind my asking, what date was it when you fought in that alley?”  
“June 2nd, 1899. Was my shield in the clothing you found me in? Assuming I was in clothing.”  
“We found a few things but recognised little of it. I shall retrieve it for you with the newspaper.”  
So saying Severus stalked out through a door into what was presumably Madam Pomfrey’s office. Poppy took in the worried frown on the young detectives’ face and sighed. If he was right, and sane, and honest then this was a very strange set of circumstances to wake up to. She had trouble believing it her self and almost hoped he was just an escaped lunatic. Fortunately, or unfortunately, he seemed perfectly lucid, sane and sensible. This did not seem to be a trick of any sort but the reality was, as he had said, beyond credulity. It only took moments for Severus to get back with a Daily Prophet and the bag of things they had taken out of William’s clothes.  
“Your clothes are unfortunately beyond repair, they are still in the office if you wish to keep them for sentimental reasons.”  
Severus said ‘sentimental’ with a hefty amount of disgust, which made it clear how he felt on the matter.  
“Ya know, muggles can test a person’s hair and it tells them exactly where they’ve been since it started growing. It has something to do with minerals and pollution and stuff in the water and food in different areas. If they can do it with science, can we do it with magic?”  
All three adults turned as one to the young man in the bed half way down the room. Harry looked back at them with a curious frown.  
“Mr Potter! Why didn’t you say you were awake? Lay still now, let me check you over again before you try to move.”  
“Eaves dropping again Potter?”  
Severus’ distain was clear in his voice, but William picked up on a dichotomy in his feelings. It felt like he wanted the boy to think he meant it but really didn’t, had in fact had to force his self to say anything in the first place. The boy, apparently named Harry Potter, was obviously not as perceptive as William.  
“If it was a private conversation it shouldn’t have been held in a public place. Sir. And I was trying to help.”  
“As always Potter, your ‘help’ is not! Try keeping your mouth closed and your eyes and ears open. You might learn something for a change.”  
Now that last bit had been genuinely meant. In what context William wasn’t sure, but it was obviously important to Severus.  
“Now boys! That is more than enough from both of you, Mr Potter, you should be ashamed speaking to a professor that way. And Professor Snape, you do not need to antagonise anybody in my infirmary!”  
William had to hide a smile as Harry ducked his head and murmured his apologies, obviously chastised, and Severus raised his head and straightened his back, scowl settling further onto his face in feigned indignation before he turned his back on the both of them, though he couldn’t meet Poppy’s eyes. Poppy nodded to her self in satisfaction at getting through to both, then finished her examination of Harry.  
“Right then Mr Potter. Everything is healing, as it should, if you stay in that bed and don’t do anything reckless over night you should be able to leave in time for breakfast tomorrow! Now, Professor Snape and I are a little busy with Mr Murdoch right now and I would appreciate it if you would refrain from repeating anything you have or may hear this evening.”  
“Of course, Madam Pomfrey. I’m sorry I interrupted but the police use hair tests all the time to catch criminals and find missing people and such, I just thought maybe Professor Snape could make a potion to do the same? Like the Goblins check your blood for the inheritance stuff.”  
William was a little taken aback by that, had science progressed so far in the last hundred years? He was no longer in any doubt that he had, in some manner, ended up in the future. The boy wasn’t lying or prevaricating in any way, and neither were the Professor or Matron. He had obviously been sceptical at first, who wouldn’t be? But too much was going on, and too many emotions had been revealed to him, though they probably didn’t realise it, for him to suspect any of them of deceit.  
“Do you have any clue how much work goes into making a new potion Potter? It’s not as if I can throw a few things in a pot and, voila, brand new perfect potion!”  
“I didn’t think it would be easy Sir, but if anyone can it would be you. I may be crap at potions but I’m not so blind I can’t see how good you are. Slughorn is a pathetic idiot up to you, I know the Headmaster has trouble getting a DADA professor, but I have no idea what possessed him to hire that idiot when you were right here. You could probably teach both lesson at the same time better than that prat can teach one!!”  
“Mr Potter! Whatever we think about a fellow professor it is not appropriate to speak like that!”  
Poppy was trying to tell him off, but it was obvious to everyone there that she was fighting hard to hold back her laughter. Harry looked up at her with a sweet, innocent smile and even Snape had trouble not smiling.  
“Yes, Madam Pomfrey. As you say, not appropriate at all. Almost as appropriate as holding a ‘Slug Club’ to curry favour with under age wizards and witches in an attempt to line ones own pockets in one way or another.”  
Severus snorted his amusement at that, and then tried to cover it by clearing his throat. Harry looked slightly amazed at this show of humour.  
“Inappropriate behaviour aside, Mr Murdoch is still in a bit of a quandary. A time turner will not work so far back; I have no idea what it could do to the fabric of time to even attempt such a leap, so I imagine you are stuck in this time period Mr Murdoch. The question now is what we do with you. Though I dare say you were a perfectly adequate Constable in your time, your methods will no doubt be a little out of date for the modern world. You are obviously a wizard of some merit, so you could possibly become an Auror if you so wished.


	2. Stargate Atlantis

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Past John/Rodney, John/Lorne in the making.

John/Lorne

Evan Lorne was a mystery, and John needed to figure him out fast, because being on his best behaviour was just too stressful to keep up for long now he was back home on Atlantis. To be honest life was too stressful right now, everything since Holland had been shot down had been stressful, and right now it was all getting on top of him and the relief of getting back to the comfort of having Atlantis in the back of his mind had lowered his defences enough that he was having a really hard time keeping it together, and he really needed to know if he could trust his new XO, his track record on that was shitty at best. 

He had trusted his mother and she had left, though as an adult he realised she hadn't chosen to die, as a five year old he had just known she had abandoned him. He had trusted his father, until his mother had died and he had gone from an aloof benefactor to a hateful tormentor. He had trusted his brother until Dave was old enough to take sides, to decide that dad was right and everything was Johns fault. He had trusted Todd in college, until he proved that humans were the true monsters you had to be afraid of. He had almost trusted Nancy, almost, so it wasn’t much of a surprise when the divorce papers had come through the mail. He had trusted the Air Force, until they refused to let him go after his friends, then given him a black mark when he went anyway. He had really thought Rodney was different, he was well on his way to falling for him when the doubt started creeping in, slowly undermining everything as Rodney ignored him more and more, as he ignored, changed or forgot any and every plan John made for them, every treat and surprise he tried to plan, the picnic, the Jumper trips, everything, until he was too tired, their foundations too shaky to continue and they had to split up before they started hating each other.

Major Evan Lorne was not making his life any easier of course, because he was too good to be true. Lorne was polite, cheerful, respectful, did his duty and then some (including most of Johns paperwork), and he had the most gorgeous body John had ever seen, bested only by his handsome, cheeky, sexy as all hell face. He was 5'8" with dark brown hair and the brightest most amazing blue eyes John had ever wanted to dive into head first, and his body was compact and solid, with his broad shoulders and broad hands and John just couldn’t help imagining him pinning him down and taking him, making him accept whatever he was given, and it was driving him insane! He had ended his 'relationship' with Rodney just before they headed back on the Daedalus, and they had only been back in Atlantis a month, which also made him feel guilty for already being interested in someone else, and by god was he interested!

The real problem was that Lorne seemed interested too, or so Ronan and Teyla told him anyway. John always missed these so-called obvious things when somebody was interested in him, he never saw it coming. Teyla had been the one to tell him that Rodney returned his interest, which had damn near given him a heart attack at the time, he thought he was hiding his own interest so well, but apparently not. That was, in fact, the biggest problem John had at the moment, what if Lorne saw his interest but Teyla was wrong and he reported him? He seriously considered hiding in his room for the rest of his life, but Atlantis felt amused in the back of his head and he really didn’t want her laughing at him.

************

John looked at Rodney carefully, watching him move around the room the SGC had given them to share while they waited for the Daedalus to take them home, he figured it was supposed to 'put him in his place' or some such nonsense, General Landry didn’t like him any more than Colonel Sumner had, and didn’t bother to hide it any more than the other man either. Unfortunately for Landry he was more than pleased with the arrangement, it meant he had plenty of privacy to talk to Rodney which he desperately needed. Rodney was banging things around, again, or should that be still? He wasn’t sure, but he knew it was too much, too often and added up to an untenable relationship, he just had to explain that to Rodney, preferably without any more hysterics. 

"Rodney?"

Rodney heard him, he couldn’t not have heard him in the tiny room, but he chose to ignore him. John sighed deeply.

"Rodney, we need to talk."

Rodney continued to ignore him, though he slammed every draw he could and kicked the cabinet for good measure. John sighed again.

"I can't do this any more Rodney, I've tried, but I can't."  
"So the brave new Colonel is going to run away? Is that what they teach you to do with the shiny new bird on your collar?"

John hung his head and concentrated on breathing, deep and even, calm, sane. Rodney suddenly deflated and sank down on the bed next to him and sighed shakily before speaking again.

"Which is exactly why we need to talk. I'm sorry."  
"I know Rodney, you always are, and I know you mean it, I really do, but I can't keep doing this, going through this, every time I breath I wonder if I'm doing it wrong."  
"Now that's just ridiculous!"  
"Really? Every time I speak to someone you act like I'm about to jump them, you ignore me constantly, you put off or forget every plan I ever made to get together, everything always has to be on your schedule, and I forgive you every time, I let it go, I move on and hope it gets better, only it never does. Every time I make a command decision you argue it, and I 'know' that half the time you already agree with me but you argue all the same. I know, you don’t want anyone thinking we're too close, well congratulations it worked, Elizabeth hauled me in just before we found out about the Wraith ships, told me to 'fix it, or else' because she could replace 'me' Rodney, she can't replace you, even with contact with Earth you are unique, I'm just a wash-out Zoomie, all I have going for me is Atlantis, even Elizabeth and the Brass can't ignore how much she likes me, but you'll win every time Rodney, every damn time, doesn’t matter if I'm in the wrong or not, you always win, because you can't be replaced. They just promoted me, I never thought I'd ever get as far as Light Bird, but I made it, me! On my own merit, on my own work, against every odd, I made it. And they couldn’t even give me a minute to appreciate that, not even a minute, because as he was handing them over, didn’t even give me the courtesy of pinning the fucking things on! As Landry handed them to me he told me point blank he would be much happier the day he got to take them back, because I would screw up soon enough and then he would be free of me, but if I kept the civilians happy and kept it in my pants I might just last six months."  
"What the hell? Who the hell does he think he is talking to you like that?"  
"Why wouldn’t he Rodney? Do you even know how many times you've bitched at me about my 'thing' for Ancient women? How many times you've called me Kirk in front of anyone and everyone? You are on my team and the head of Science Rodney! When you say shit like that they take it seriously! The doctor here tested me for every STD known to man or beast and was shocked, honest to god 'shocked' when I came up clean! Do you know how many people I have slept with? In my entire life? Huh? You wanna guess Rodney? Go on, I dare you, give me an honest guess."

Rodney stared at him for a long time. John rarely spoke much, he was a very quiet and laid back man unless his people were threatened, and he never spoke to Rodney in such a cold and deadly tone, ever. Rodney gulped, realising he may have pushed a little too far while trying to get a reaction from John. He had only wanted to wind him up a little, he was always so laid back it was driving him mad, he was always so quiet and gentle in bed, he never took the initiative and never fucked Rodney, not that that generally bothered him, but sometimes he just wanted John to pin him down and fuck him, hard and rough. He was now wishing he'd manned up and asked out right instead of trying to provoke him into doing it. He respected John enough to give him an honest reply, so he thought about it. Rodney his self had slept with nine people, male and female, and John was hot, so he had to factor that in, and the pilot thing, and the hair.

"A couple dozen?"

John's jaw dropped in stunned horror for a moment before he shut down, his face going blank, just like it did when he was facing an enemy, and that more than anything else scared Rodney, and proved he had fucked up beyond redemption. When John started talking again he was quiet, too quiet. 

"So you honestly believe it, you weren't just yanking my chain, you honestly believe I cheated on you. Thank you Dr McKay, for being honest about it, and I apologise for not realising sooner that you were being serious. I assumed, and I should know better. I assumed you knew me well enough to know I would never lie to you, that you could trust me. We all know what assuming gets you. You know, it's hard to gain and keep respect from Marines, real hard, I know you don’t care about that, because you don’t care about others respect, and I like that about you McKay, I always have, but I 'need' their respect to lead them, and I had it, I got through to them, me, a disgraced Zoomie, I earned their respect. They started talking about tattoos! USMC of course, but not just that! No, the Rangers decided I had to have one of theirs too, and then the Force Recon boys couldn’t be out done, not by Rangers, they've never managed to ink a Zoomie before so they all had to get equal rights or risk a war. Then you started with the 'Kirk' comments. At first it was just a joke, then you took it too far, what do you think they call me now? Huh? Major Kirk! Because they all think you know! Because you're always with me off world so you would know wouldn’t you Dr McKay? So they think I've bedded half the women in Pegasus. Do you know how many men I had to schedule 'training' with Teyla after they started talking trash about her? Because the only reason she could possibly be on the team was as an emergency bed-warmer! The Marines think it's great, their CO is the hottest thing in Pegasus, and he's an honorary Jarhead, it's not so amusing when other officers hear them bragging about it though, when I get checked for any and everything a slut or a whore might catch, when they start demanding I give the names of every woman I've 'fucked', Landry's word, since I joined the program. The best part was when I answered them honestly, when I hand on heart swore I hadn't had any kind of sexual contact with a woman since my divorce, and Landry laughed in my face and threatened court marshal for lying to him unless I confessed. I told him to go ahead, because the answer would never change, and it never will, because I will never willingly touch another woman in my life. I have had three lovers Dr McKay, a bastard in college that taught me sex could be perfect and people could be monsters, my ex wife, and you, and if the brass learn that I'll land in Leavenworth before you can think DADT. Thank you again for your honesty and I thought it would go without saying but I'm through with assuming, so if you feel like airing your grievances, at least do me the courtesy of warning me so I can resign instead of praying for just a dishonourable discharge, you may have the world at your feet but the Air Force, much as it hates me, is all I have."

Rodney was honestly stunned, and hurt that John could even think he could do that, and guilty as hell as he realised exactly what he was, and had been, putting John through for the sake of an 'easy' fuck-buddy, or at least that was how he had seen it.

"I wouldn’t, I could never, you can't think, I would never do that to you!"

John just stared blankly for a long moment before he thawed just a little, just enough that Rodney thought there was some hope of salvaging their friendship, maybe, if he tried hard enough.

"I thought so, but I've been wrong about a lot lately. There's nowhere to run here, so I'm going to the training room."

Rodney watched silently as John left, wanting nothing more than to apologise a million times over and beg him to take him back, to forgive him, but he knew his self well enough to know he couldn’t change, he would always be unreasonably jealous of anyone John spoke to, including the mess staff, and he did know John well enough to know he wouldn’t put up with it any more, that he would take him back if he begged and cajoled, and it would kill them both, slowly but surely, and any chance of their friendship surviving would be lost, so he let him go, and hoped it wouldn’t be too long before he got his friend back.

************


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Avengers/Primeval

Avengers meet Primeval

"Just to clarify, who is the ranking officer here?"  
"Major Ryan, obviously. Unless you yanks messed around with your ranking as well as the English language, Major still out ranks Captain doesn’t it?"  
"He's Captain America Cutter!"  
"I don’t care where he's from, he's a Captain."  
"You really can be clueless Cutter, truly clueless. Not 'A' Captain 'from' America, 'The' Captain America! The national icon and hero of the New York Invasion!"  
"How did an actor get clearance?"  
"Dude we so need to talk! The world was almost over run by aliens about six months ago and you are the second person I've met that thought it was a film, explain to me how that works?"

Nick looked bewildered as the American talked to him until the man put his arm around his shoulders and Steven took offence, then he glared at his lover instead. Steve Rogers frowned as he looked at the young man glaring at Clint when he didn’t move away from Cutter.

"Steven, he does na' mean a thing by it ya loon, simmer down gradh."  
"Clint back off! Tony, don’t start."  
"I didn’t do anything!"  
"You were thinking it. We are guests here, behave like it."

Clint let go of Cutter and smirked at Steven as he moved away. Tony ducked his head and tipped it to the side, baring his neck to his lover, giving him a coy and innocent smile from beneath his eyelashes. 

"Sorry cariad, I'll be a good boy, promise."

Steve smiled at Tony and swatted his ass, making him jump and yelp in surprise before rubbing his self against Steve blatantly. 

"Hey! Not in front of the Brits! You'll damage their delicate sensibilities."  
"You met Peggy right?"  
"Well yeah, but Aunt Peggy was one in a million. Nick told me I had to be on 'retirement home' manners as long as I was here."

The 'Brits' in question weren't sure if they should be worried that this was what Tony Stark considered 'retirement home' manners or insulted that this Nick had told him to use them.

"He what? I shouldn’t be surprised, that he said it or that this is how you interpreted it. Why is he not here again?"  
"Because our fearless leader is too smart to put his personal rep on the line at the same time as his professional one Cap. It's bad enough letting Tony loose on foreign soil under SHIELD's banner, no way he's gonna come his self and have him climbing him like a tree in front of 'impressionable' allies."  
"Clint!"  
"What? I'm only saying!"  
"Well don’t. Just listen and pay attention, we are representing SHIELD as well as the Avengers, act like it."


	4. Harry Potter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Poor Hagrid can be a little clumsy.

Harry Lost

Hagrid never noticed the child waking up, he never noticed the child moving around, and he never noticed when the young Harry Potter fell out of his protective care as he was flying low over Savernake forest, Wiltshire on his way to Surrey, he did finally notice when trying to hand the boy over, and was inconsolable for hours on end and had to eventually be knocked out by Professor McGonagall before being taken back to Hogwarts. By the end of the week of fruitless searching Dumbledore had to obliviate Hagrid of anything to do with the ‘incident’ because he had become suicidal after not being able to find the boy. He had also taken the precaution of obliviating Minerva, the evil looks she had started throwing at him after berating him long and loud about the whole cockamamy plan were starting to get truly scary. Thus began the longest ten years of Dumbledore’s life, because he knew Tom Riddle wasn’t truly dead and the key to killing him probably was, and there was nothing he could do about either.

***  
Harry Potter,  
51°23′N 1°41′W,  
Third Dead Oak to the Left,  
Savernake Forest,  
Wiltshire.  
Dumbledore stared at the envelope for an entirely unacceptable length of time, all while Minerva stared at him in equal shock. She had stormed his office waving the letter frantically, looking frazzled for the first time since he had met the woman, and it was no wonder. The first-year letters had been addressing their selves all morning, as usual, until she had spotted this one, and his heart didn’t know if it should race in excitement at proof the boy was alive, or stop dead at finding he called a dead tree home! An inane corner of his brain couldn’t help piping up, ‘ah, so that’s where Hagrid dropped him’. He finally shook off the shock and looked at his Deputy, she, unfortunately, spotted the glint in his eye and glared at him.  
“No! I will join you if you would like but I shall not go alone, and you won’t be foisting this off on anyone else either Albus, you decided to stick your oar in, and don’t think I’ve forgiven you for messing with my mind you old coot! Now you can deal with it. I’m coming with you so I can point and laugh later.”  
And she meant it too, the wily old cat.  
“Of course Minerva. Would you like to go now or is there anything you feel the need to prepare before we go?”  
“Oh no, I’m ready, I always am around you now a days.”  
“Now, now my dear.”  
“Just don’t, now let’s go.”  
Dumbledore once more cursed the woman’s paranoia and how well she knew him, he really couldn’t get away with anything with her. He stood and waved her toward the fire place.  
“Shall we floo to the Three Broomsticks and apperate from there?”  
“Certainly.”  
And she was gone with a rather catty smirk. He shook his head but couldn’t help grinning in admiration as he followed her. It wasn’t long before they were in the Forest looking at a dead oak, wondering what to do next. Eventually he shrugged and called out.  
“Hello?”  
Nothing happened for long moments until he felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up, looking to Minerva he knew she felt it too, somebody was watching them.  
“Hello, we’re here looking for Harry Potter, we don’t mean any harm, we just want to talk.”  
There was still nothing obvious but they could both feel the increase in attention, the very air felt curious. He risked a smile.  
“Would you like to come out and talk?”  
He waited but nothing changed. Eventually Minerva took matters into her own hands and transfigured some of the leaf litter into a table and four chairs, taking a seat and looking at Albus until he joined her. He smiled at her and called one of the school House Elves.  
“Babbly, ah, there you are, I think we should like some tea please, a setting for four should be enough.”  
The elf bobbed his head and disappeared, soon returning with the requested tea. Minerva poured two cups and sat back to take in the treats brought for them quietly eating a sandwich triangle before starting to discuss the upcoming year with Albus, questioning him again about allowing Quirrell to take the DADA job.   
“You have seen the man Albus, you can not possible still think this posting is appropriate!”  
“It’s not like I have a choice Minerva.”  
“Severus would do it.”  
“And then we would lose him to the curse too! I won’t do it, for his sake and ours.”  
Though the two were looking at each other while they spoke they were both very capable of keeping an eye on their surroundings, so neither missed the little hand sneaking over the edge of the table to grab a triangle of sandwich and grinned at each other. They continued chatting as the boy slowly took several more pieces of food, just giving him the time to come to them as he wished. Turned out the boy didn’t think much of Albus, but he took to Minerva well enough, which made her almost unbearably smug and he knew he would never hear the end of it.


	5. Person of Interest

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Harold/John

Fandom: Person of Interest  
Pairings: John/Harold  
Warnings:   
Disclaimer: Don’t own, don’t sue. READ the WARNINGS!!!  
Summery:

John had watched Harold right from the start, well, from the moment he had sobered up enough to pay attention. At first he had simply been resigned to another handler making him do whatever they wanted of him, accepted that it was all he could expect after everything he had done, one more person aiming him towards his death, if he was lucky. Only it didn’t quite go that way. The longer he spent around Harold, the more he saw, the longer he went without the numbing effects of dangerous amounts of alcohol, the more he realised there was something not quite right about him, something not quite human. 

It had been just over a month since Harold had dragged him out of the gutters and given him a job, a job that gave his life purpose and meaning, it had also given him Harold, which was a definite bonus. Harold was a 'very private person', so private that even John couldn’t figure him out, or follow him, which was what really proved he wasn’t human. John could follow anyone, through anything, over any terrain, even most supernaturals, even in his skin there weren't many that could elude his senses. He still didn’t know what Harold was either, he knew a lot of things he wasn’t, but still not a clue what he was. 

It was frustrating as hell. 

************

Harold had watched John for years, the Machine had given him his number, just like it had given him Grace's, there was no apparent reason for it until he had looked beyond the cover story the CIA had put up, then it became interesting, but still pointless as far as he could see. Then Nathan had been killed. 'Irrelevant' had taken on a whole new meaning, had become an entity to torment and torture him, and the numbers continued to come. He stayed inside as much as he could, avoided public phones as often as possible at the beginning, but eventually the Machine caught up with him, like a faithful puppy following him everywhere. He went through a ridiculous amount of files trying to find someone to help him, but each time he allowed someone in they screwed it up through greed or arrogance or just plain stupidity. Then John was reported dead and he mourned a man he had never actually met, until his number came up again. If he had been that kind of man Harold would have been dancing around the Library in joy, but he wasn’t, so he smiled instead. 

It had been over a month since he found John in the police station and bought him into the Library, since John had saved his life along with Theresa, since he had listened to the Machine and found the perfect partner. John was amazing at what he did, and though he didn’t bend to it he did understand and respect his dislike of weapons and violence, and did his best to keep it away from him, except the arsenal hidden around the Library, and the pure smug satisfaction on the man's face when he followed him to work was adorable. The best part though, without a doubt, was watching John try to figure him out, trying to follow him home at night, stalking him whenever he didn’t have a number to play with, and the banked frustration when he lost him yet again.

It was entertaining as hell.

************

What none of John's previous employers had known, though he was certain Harold did, was that John wasn’t human either. Only the CIA had even realised he was adopted, Mark and Kara had guessed that he wasn’t human, though they couldn’t prove anything, but even they had never realised he was Chimera. It was one of the few highlights of that job, the day Kara had 'figured him out' and smugly informed him she 'knew' he was a werewolf. He had nearly died laughing, literally, she had been aiming her gun at him and he still couldn’t stop rolling around laughing, Mark had eventually stopped her when she took the safety off and John was still laughing, unable to stop his self. Kara had moved to kick him in the head where he was curled up on the floor in hysterics, that had calmed him quick enough, a little, as soon as she pulled her foot back he pulled his gun, cocked, safety off and planted firmly against her supporting knee even as he continued to chuckle. She had stormed off in disgust but he had seen Mark trying to hide his own smile. It was the only time either of them ever saw John laugh.

John didn’t know for sure if Harold knew exactly what he was until things came to a head a few months later when a case went very badly. John had always known that to reveal his self as Chimera would be a 'bad' thing, he knew what had happened to the few supernaturals the Company had found while he was working for them, and he would never allow it to happen to him, even before that he had known, on an instinctual level that he had to hide, to never be found out, so he had always worked very hard on his self control, he never let his emotions rule him, he had perfect control over his self, body, mind and emotions, he had to, to stay alive and free. So when Elias locked him in the back of a refrigerated trailer with Leila he didn’t panic, he didn’t loose control, he very calmly shifted into a Squirrel Monkey, slipping out of the cuffs, then shifted back to pick up Leila. He cuddled her close, wrapped her in his coat and rocked unconsciously as he tried to decide what to do. He could get out of here easily enough, or he could wait Elias out, but either came with their own risks and it wasn’t just him any more, not only did he have to protect Leila, he also had to protect Harold. Harold had become not only his saviour, but the centre of his universe and he knew, now that he knew the man, now that Harold had built him back up and returned his sanity, he couldn’t live without him, certainly not with his sanity intact. The last thing he wanted was to loose his self completely and go on a rampage, which would eventually happen as he lost his connection with the human race, he didn’t want to become that nightmare that perpetuated the horror stories and myths about his kind. 

His mind was spinning faster and faster, Leila was screaming, he was getting colder by the second and he couldn’t think! John screamed. He hadn't thought about it, hadn't planned it, but he screamed, all his frustration and fear for Leila and confusion, but most of all his desperate need for Harold and his steady, soothing sense of calm. 

Then he felt it, that wonderful calm settled into his mind and blanketed him, soothing his jagged nerves, and he took a deep breath, let it out slowly, and settled.

[John?]  
[Harold.]  
[Where are you John?]

John looked around his self and thought back over how he had got here, considering the best and quickest way to explain.

[Ok John, I got that, I know where you are, I'm sending Detective Carter to you now.]  
[Elias's men!]  
[I know John, don’t worry. Find something to keep Leila warm and stay that way until I tell you, ok? Just keep her safe and I'll keep you safe. Once Carter gets to you I'll let you know and you can get back in your skin ok?]

John didn’t even consider wondering how Harold knew any of it, let alone talked to him telepathically, he just accepted it as fact, like everything else about Harold. He sighed his relief and shifted into a gorilla, holding Leila tight as he curled up in a corner, trusting Harold to save them both.

[Thank you John, just stay calm and wait a little longer, Carter is about five minutes out from you, you will both be fine. And perfect choice, you can keep her warm and safe.]

John smiled, warmed from the inside by the praise, loving the 'feel' of Harold's voice in his mind and wishing he had known about this before, it would have made a few things a lot easier, especially getting cornered and shot by Mark, thinking he was going to die alone in a parking garage.

[I'm sorry John, I should have trusted you with this long ago.]

John frowned, he didn’t have the words to explain it but he hated the idea of Harold apologising, for anything, but especially something like this, he shouldn’t be apologising, it was John's fault for not earning that trust before hand, he shouldn’t have pushed for more than he deserved so often, he should have stuck to his instincts and trusted Harold from the start instead of trying to follow him and loosing him one of his alias's jobs.

[No John, no! You did exactly what I expected you to! I wouldn’t have come to you if I hadn't wanted the best, and the best doesn’t just roll over and accept what they are told, you wouldn’t be 'you' if you hadn't pushed John, that's exactly why I 'do' trust you!]

John couldn’t help the shudder of pure pleasure that ran through him at that, just to know Harold believed in him, could 'see' him and still trusted him, it was more than he could think about right then, but he held that feeling to him like the most precious thing that it was, and curled up around it. He could feel Harold smiling, it was like the sun coming out on a cold winters day and he basked in it, like a cat finding that perfect beam of sunlight on a patch of catnip. Harold chuckled as John practically writhed in his mind, both of them revelling in it. 

[Carter will be there momentarily John, shift back now and stay quiet, it's going to be cold for a while, and Carter will try to get everyone else away before she opens the trailer, but better safe than sorry.]

They both knew that if John was seen as a gorilla he would be tranquillised and put in a zoo at best, not that that would stop him for long but it would be best not to tempt fate, especially as Elias would know. John shivered at the thought as he shifted back to his skin, luckily Leila was fast asleep, bundled up warm inside his coat and would hopefully stay that way until they got out. John heard police sirens and sighed in relief, it would be over soon and he could go home to Harold. He didn’t miss the slight hint of smug satisfaction from Harold at that, and couldn’t help the grin, Harold had every right to be smug, he was the centre of his universe after all. That added a hint of a blush to the smug satisfaction but Harold was pleased so John was pleased, and the shouting had settled from outside the trailer so it shouldn’t be much longer. Ten minutes later, as John was starting to really shiver and worry about Leila, the door opened and Carter called his name.

"John? John are you alright?"  
"We're ok."  
"Oh, thank god! Come on, let's get you out of here before anything else happens! We rounded up a dozen of Elias's men and not one of the bastards mentioned you were in here!"

John smirked at her.

"You were expecting a humanitarian response maybe?"  
"Funny. I was expecting a 'human' response! They would have left that poor baby in here to die!"  
"Thank you Carter."

John's response was dry and far from happy. She shrugged, but at least she had the decency to look sheepish.

"I just meant I didn’t expect 'them' to care about you."

John just looked at her, knowing it would wind her up and make her feel guilty, bonus!

[John! Really, after the Detective just saved the two of you?]

John continued staring at Carter with a completely blank face as she started squirming, though he was grinning like a loon in his mind.

[A boy's gotta have his fun.]

Harold snorted his amusement, there was no point trying to hide it when he was this tightly entwined with John's mind. John's satisfaction rumbled between them like a big cat's purr. John suddenly growled, though it was far from menacing.

[You even think 'pussy' and I'll show you what claws can do to a 'First Edition'!]

Harold couldn't help laughing. 

[Hurry up and come back, we have things to discuss, face to face.]

John purred again, practically wrapping his self around 'Harold' in his mind, perfectly happy with that idea. He raised an eyebrow at Carter who was still shuffling her feet and looking guilty.

"Shall we go now, or would you rather stay a while longer? Leila needs to go to her Grandparents."  
"Oh god yeah! Where are they?"  
"I need your phone."

She sighed but handed over the burner Harold had given her. John hit speed dial 1 and almost sighed as Harold picked up the phone, there was just something soothing and 'normal' about hearing that voice in his ear, even if it was more intimate to hear it in his head.

"Well done John. Leila's Grandparents will meet you at the air field, they are waiting there now."  
"Thank you Harold. Any tips on the traffic?"

Harold snorted his amusement at that, but he knew John just wanted to keep him on the line. They spent the twenty minute drive talking very little, just directions from Harold and the odd sarcastic comment from John along with glares and deeply weary sighs from Carter. John almost didn’t want to hand Leila over, she was such a gorgeous baby and he and Harold had fallen in love with her almost from the start, but he knew they couldn’t keep her safe in New York, so he handed her over to her grateful family and walked away, head held high as if it wasn’t killing him a little to do it. Carter looked at him for a long time when they got back to her car, trying to figure out just how much of his behaviour was an act and getting nowhere. She just couldn’t read him at all. Afterwards, as always, John had her drop him about a block from the Library and walked the rest of the way, it kept her at arms length and gave him a chance to walk off the remaining cold from the trailer. She wasn’t happy, as usual, but she had given up arguing that she needed to know where their 'lair' was a long time ago. 

John strode into the Library and walked straight up to Harold's chair in front of his computer station. Harold raised his eyebrows as John stalked towards him, only to grin as the bigger man gracefully sank to his knees and rested his head on his thigh, letting out a deep sigh of contentment and going almost boneless as he relaxed into him. Harold ran his fingers through his salt and pepper hair, noticing how thick and soft it was, and let out a sigh of his own as they both just relaxed for a moment. Then he tapped his finger gently against Johns temple.

"Let me in John."

John sat up and frowned at him in confusion. Harold grinned as he shook his head.

"You don’t even realise you're doing it, do you? You have the best mental shields I have ever come up against John, I can't get in unless you let me, not without more of a fight than I'm willing to engage in."  
"I don’t understand."  
"When you called me earlier, you let down all your shields, you invited me in John, do it again."

John was still a little confused but he thought about Harold's voice in his mind and reached for him.

[There you are. That's better. We will have to find a way for you to let me in without dropping all your shields, I don’t want you leaving your self vulnerable, but I want to be able to get to you whenever I need to.]

John smirked and Harold knew what was coming by the image the man had in his head.

[Like a cat flap?]  
[Let's not start on the pussy jokes dear, I have more ammo.]

John writhed in his mind as he called him 'dear' and Harold decided his telepathy, once considered a curse, was quite the blessing, he had always had trouble reading John, so to be able to feel exactly what was going through his mind was amazing, and very informative, neither of them could hide from each other here. John's body writhed as he felt Harold's satisfaction, just knowing he had pleased him was enough for John. Harold pulled him back down and started petting his head again.

"So easily pleased, dear."

John just hummed his contentment, his mind swirling with satisfaction as he relaxed again. Harold let him drift for a few minutes before his neck gave a twinge at the angle. John sat up and pulled away immediately. 

"It's ok, it does that all the time."  
"It's not ok, you should never have been hurt."  
"Nothing to be done about it now John. The settee might be more comfortable for both of us though."  
"I was comfy, but we should move, yes."

Harold knew John had meant it too, he could have happily spent all day right where he was, and Harold could see a lot of days working on the computers with John knelt at his side in their future. John purred at the thought. 

"Great big pussy cat."

John growled as they made their way to the settee and Harold settled in the corner, though he didn’t let it stop him trying to decide if he would prefer to kneel between Harold's feet or lay next to him with his head on his lap. Harold tried not to think about it, he didn’t want to influence John's decision, but he couldn’t hide the spike of pleasure at the later, so John smiled and curled up on the settee next to him, head resting in his lap and closed his eyes, going completely boneless in relaxation. Harold shook his head.

"How do you do that? I'm pretty sure I don’t relax that much while I sleep, let alone on command!"  
"Yoga."

Harold would have questioned that, just the thought of John doing something so, sedentary, was almost impossible to believe, but he knew John wouldn’t lie to him. John smiled and looked up at him, eyes half closed and looking almost blissful.

"It's not so different from callisthenics, it's good exercise after injury, and it keeps your joints supple, also doesn’t take up a lot of room, good for stake outs and cells."

Harold couldn’t help the shiver at the idea of John being locked in a cell, John wasn’t much better but hid it better on the outside, while his mind shied away from the memories quickly, so Harold knew better than to push. John's relief was palpable as Harold didn’t question, instead pulling him towards the practicalities of yoga. To be fair, it all looked easy enough, through John's mind, but Harold was sure it would be a lot harder in reality. John chuckled.

"I'll teach you. Doesn’t matter if you can't do some poses, we'll use others, it'll be good for you."

Harold did not miss the spike of lust as John pictured him doing several of the poses, and sent it right back at the image of John doing the same. John's smug little grin was adorable, like anyone could resist him? That made John blush, which was perfect, and unexpected, he wouldn't have thought that kind of reaction would have survived CIA training let alone field work. John blushed harder as his mind raced back to Kara and Mark both trying to help him over that particular stumbling block to no avail, and finally deciding it wasn’t worth ruining a perfectly good killing machine by pushing him on it, he just wasn’t capable of 'casual' sex, and still didn’t expect anyone to want him. Harold could see that John 'knew' Mark and Kara were just trying to train him, he couldn’t see just how attractive he really was, he could also see it was a loosing battle to try and convince him otherwise, so he didn’t even try, he just made sure John couldn’t miss, ignore or mistake his feelings in any way, and made a personal note to do so as often as he could, just to make absolutely sure John knew how much he was wanted, as well as how much he was loved and needed.

John buried his head in Harold's lap and really couldn’t miss just how much Harold wanted him, it was literally staring him in the face. He closed his eyes and breathed deeply, taking in Harold's scent, he couldn’t help snuffling closer, trying to get to Harold's pure, undiluted scent so he could 'tag' him. Harold was still in his mind so he knew what he was 'trying' to do, he also knew exactly what he 'was' doing, which was making Harold very uncomfortable in his usually very comfortable suit. John felt Harold's discomfort and pulled back, disappointed but not willing to push, at all. Harold sighed and tugged on John's ear sharply. John's head came up instantly, his eyes sad but resigned as he waited to be punished for whatever he had done, and Harold glared at him.

"I have no idea how you can possibly still be unsure of your self or your place here with me, you are inside my mind John, how can you ignore that?"

John didn’t have to explain, as soon as Harold asked the memories jumped straight out at him, the pain and fear and confusion as his drug conditioned mind told him he was safe and protected even though he was in an enemy camp, while his instincts screamed danger, and John was torn in two by the confusion, he saw as John slowly learnt to trust Mark and Kara, how he let them in only to have it thrown back at him, along with a bullet and a missile strike in a dead compound in China. So John didn’t have to explain, and Harold couldn’t blame him for any of it, couldn’t blame him for holding back or for being scared, was humbled by how much John did trust him, how much John already loved him, and was all the more determined to show John, for as long as they lived, just how safe he really was, and to live up to the trust he had already been given. John shuddered at that, burying his face again, trying to ignore everything else, but continually stumbling over the feel of Harold in his mind. Harold started to pull back, to give John a little privacy in his own mind if nowhere else, but John froze, not even breathing, as his mind tried to figure out what he had done wrong, why Harold was leaving him. 

[No John, not leaving, I'm never leaving you. I thought you might want some time to think alone, without me right here.]

John looked up at him and gave him a tiny attempt at a smile.

[I like you right here.]

Harold couldn’t have missed the 'safe, safe, safe, please safe' running through John's head and he wasn’t sure if he should laugh or cry, so he just started petting John's hair again, letting the mans thoughts and emotions wash over him, trying not to pay attention while John sorted through his mind and settled his self with everything that had happened. Harold was astonished, his attention caught despite his intentions as he watched John go through the events of the day and critique everything he had done, running his own performance evaluation, learning and settling everything as he went, putting it all behind him without forgetting any of it, clearing his mind ready for the next task, which just happened to be Harold. He ran through everything he knew about Harold, adding in everything he had found out that day, sorting and shuffling everything to accommodate the new facts and resetting his mental image of him. It was fascinating to watch, Harold had never even heard of anyone running their mind like this, it was amazing, and such a pleasure to watch. By the time John had finished Harold was enthralled, and couldn’t wait to see him do it again.

"Do you do that often?"  
"Every day."  
"Can I join you again? Some time? Please?"

John was definitely confused then.

"Why?"  
"Because it was beautiful to watch, and I would like to see it again to try and understand it, so maybe I could do the same, I've never heard of anything like it before."  
"Really? The Agency taught us."  
"I somehow doubt anyone else in the CIA does it quite like that!"

John just smiled indulgently, not believing it for a minute but willing to let Harold have his delusion if it made him happy, it was harmless enough. Harold shook his head and sighed, wishing John believed in his own worth and willing to show him again and again until he finally, truly believed it, and then continue forever just to make sure he never forgot. John blushed again at that. Harold smiled and patted his shoulder.

"Come on, I've had enough of being here, walk me home."

John's smile could have lit the Eastern Seaboard. 

************


	6. LotR/Buffy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oh the possibilities!

Snippet

“Where the hell are we?”

Xander looked around him as he woke up and took in the scene around him. They were obviously in a clearing surrounded by forest. As he was taking in the beauty and near serenity around him he heard the low rumbling of many feet moving fast and getting closer. He immediately jumped up and strode to Willow and Buffy and quietly shook them awake, thanking whatever higher powers were responsible for this mess that they were all fully armed. They both woke instantly having too much experience with the Hellmouth to do so slowly, though Willow still had time for her I’m-up-but-I-really-don’t-like-it pout. They both looked around then at Xander with confusion plain on their faces. 

“What the hell?”

Buffy almost whined. She was about ready to wind herself up into a good rant about waking where she had gone to sleep when they heard a horn being blown. They looked at each other, nodded and ran towards it, that horn was a call for help if they ever heard one. The further they ran the louder the sound of running that had first alerted Xander to trouble became. In moments they could hear steal ringing against steal and raised voices. As they broke into the next clearing they saw a man fighting way too many demons while obviously trying to protect two children, who were in turn doing their best to help. The three shared another look and Xander once again thanked the Powers that they knew each other so well. They quickly joined the fray working their way to the man and two boys as fast as they could. These demons were fast and obviously smart but they had a Slayer, a Witch and a Scooby to contend with, they didn’t stand a chance. The fight was long and hard but as the two boys were showing obvious signs of fatigue another three men, two tall and one very short with a full beard, burst into the clearing and after a quick glance at the situation, taking in the Scoobies helping their friends, they joined the fight. 

It didn’t take them long to finish off the rest of the demons once the last three men had joined them. Once all the demons were down and the allies regaining their breath one of the boys looked at the dark haired newcomer and grinned.

“Time for second breakfast yet?”

The man looked at him incredulously for a moment then the blond with him smiled and let out a tinkle of musical laughter. The very short bearded man looked at the boy and shook his head muttering something about ‘hobbits’ with fond exasperation. The sandy blond man they had first come across walked up to Xander and stood in front of him with a solemn look of gratitude. He raised his sword hand, which was now empty, and clapped his closed fist to his chest in salute. 

“Thank you, your arrival was most timely and greatly appreciated. Are you a man of Gondor? I will see to it you are recompensed handsomely for your aid. Your companions are to be congratulated and thanked too, you have prepared them well for these difficult times.”

Xander looked stunned at first then by turns happy, confused and embarrassed. 

“Uh, no. Not me, them. I’m just the doughnut guy, just swingin’ the sword tryin’ to stay alive, and what’s a ‘man of Gondor’?”

The man looked at him strangely for a moment then turned to the other dark haired man with an obvious question on his face. The other man nodded then turned to Xander and spoke.

“I am Aragorn, son of Arathorn. My companions are Boromir, son of Denethor, Legolas Greenleaf, Gimli, son of Gloin, Meriadoc Brandybuck and Peregrin Took.”

He pointed at first the dark haired stranger they had first met then the blond, short bearded man, and the two boys in turn. Xander nodded at each of them then finished the introductions.

“Hi. I’m Xander, and this is Buffy and Willow and they really did most of the fighting, they always do, I’m more of a moral support kinda guy, with the jokes and the doughnuts and the coffee and sodas, so really you should talk to the Buffmeister cause I really have no idea what the hell is going on or even where we are really and they do the fighting not me, and…”

Aragorn had been looking at him in confusion at first then with amusement as the babbling continued. He finally broke in when it looked like the poor boy wouldn’t stop until he ran out of air, though, with the way he had said everything so far on one breath it probably wouldn’t have been much longer.

“Xander! We all saw you fight. We know fighting as you may have noticed, and you are a well capable fighter. I know not of these ‘doughnuts’ or ‘sodas’ but I do know that you played just as big a part in saving Boromir as your companions. You all fought bravely and well for such young ones, you are a credit to your people and your fathers. We are all in your debt and anything we can provide you with we will and we would be pleased to travel with you a ways if possible.”

To say Xander was stunned would be like saying the Grand Canyon was a bit of a drop. Buffy and Willow, who had valiantly tried to keep a straight face watching him go deeper and deeper into shock, made the mistake of looking at each other and burst into peals of laughter, holding on to each other to stay upright. Merry and Pippin, as they later introduced themselves, were in almost the same position, only their manners keeping them in check. Aragorn was grinning at him with compassion and amusement as were Boromir and Legolas and Gimli looked like he was wondering what planet he came from. When they finally calmed down Aragorn smiled down at Xander who was trying to hide his mortified blush. 

“Never fear young one, there is much affection in their laughter. The three of you obviously share a close bond, it shows in your fighting as well as their laughter. Now, where are you heading and how may we help you?”

Xander still looked stunned and embarrassed but the first hints of amusement and affection where shining through as well. He looked over to Buffy and Willow for confirmation and at their nods of approval told Aragorn every thing they knew, it didn’t take long.

“Well, you see, we aren’t really going anywhere as we don’t know where we are now. We woke up just before the fight in a clearing just over that-a-ways and I heard lots of people running so I woke the girls up and then we heard that horn and we came running over here and saw Boromir and the kids fighting and they were outnumbered by the demons so we joined in and then you turned up and you know the rest.”

Merry and Pippin looked at him in astonishment for a moment then realised he was talking about the Uruk-hai and Orcs. Aragorn nodded sagely and quickly looked at Legolas.

“Were you but a few days earlier I would suggest seeking Gandalf’s council, alas that is not to be. Our company are heading east; we are on a long and dangerous quest and unfortunately cannot afford the time to take you back to Lothlorien to seek the wisdom of the Lady Galadriel. We can give you directions to the wood but now is not a good time for strangers to venture into Lorien. We would be pleased if you would travel with us, the way is hard and fast but we should reach Rohan before the next full moon. If you will, the Rohirrim would doubtless aid you in whatever you wish to accomplish.”

Xander shared a look with Buffy and Willow and they all nodded. 

“If it’s no bother we would like to travel with you. I don’t know if we have any money with us but we can work for our food and everything. Willow and I can cook and Buffy’s handy for heavy lifting.”

He grinned as Buffy huffed at that.

“Your gonna pay for that mister, I’ll give you ‘heavy lifting’!”

With that she sprang at Xander and he jumped behind Aragorn, being the nearest solid object, as she tried to grab him and they started a game of chase around the bemused man. He realised that she was going to catch him soon if he didn’t change tactics, being as fast as she was, and he made a sudden mad dive behind Legolas as she made another grab for him. Buffy ran another circuit around Aragorn before she realised he was gone. She slammed the breaks on and looked around for him soon spotting him in his barely hidden spot behind Legolas. She grinned and decided to end the game and show off a little at the same time. She took a running start straight at Legolas and noticed him tense up a little so grinned at him then jumped straight up over him to land just behind where Xander had been a moment earlier. Unfortunately she forgot just how well Xander knew her. As soon as he saw her headed towards him he realised what she was doing and ran as fast as he could around Legolas and back behind Aragorn. 

Willow was almost curled over laughing while she watched them and Merry and Pippin had decided to forget manners with these crazy people and go for the laughing too. Gimly was still bewildered with the whole situation but had decided they posed no imminent threat so joined in the laughing as well. Boromir was wondering what on Middle Earth they would do next. He soon found out. Xander and Buffy started the whole mulberry bush thing again with Aragorn when Buffy suddenly stopped and turned round to let Xander catch her instead. Luckily for him, Xander was watching her very carefully and noticed almost as soon as she made her move. He just happened to be facing Boromir when she stopped and tried to dodge around her to get behind the other man, unfortunately, however good his reflexes were from dodging and fighting vampires they still weren’t as good as a slayers. As he swerved and ran Buffy grabbed the edge of his shirt just enough to put him off balance for a moment, long enough for his swerve around Boromir to turn into a headlong collision. Xander had just enough time to notice the stunned look on Boromir’s face before he was laying on top of him in a very compromising position. Buffy meanwhile had stopped just in time to avoid adding to the pile-up and was wavering between hysterical laughter and mortification at the position she had unwittingly caused the two men to end up in. The laughter won. 

Xander finally got up the nerve to look at the poor man he had just run down and wished he hadn’t. Boromir was not laughing. Boromir indeed looked like he was far from happy. In fact, Boromir ‘was’ far from happy. He had just had a very handsome young man land literally in his lap with only a few layers of cloth between them and he knew damned well he could do nothing about it. Xander, not realising the cause of his ire, feared the worst. The look on Boromir’s face was far too close to the look Xander’s father got just before Xander started to get hurt real bad. Boromir noticed the sudden panic on the boys face and wondered what the hell he had done just before Xander started to babble his apologies while practically flying off him.

“I’msorrySirIdidn’tmeantodoitit’llneverhappenagainSirI’msosorrySirpleasedon’tbeangrySirI’msorrySirIshouldn’thavedoneitSiritwonthappenagainSirsorrySirsorrysorrysorrysorry.”

Willow and Buffy immediately stopped laughing as they realised what was going on and Willow grabbed Xander in a bear hug while Buffy stood protectively between them and Boromir, glaring daggers at the man who was still wondering what the hell was going on. Aragorn, being a man of tact, realised that genuine miscommunication was responsible for the situation. He knew Boromir well enough to guess at the reason for his stern visage and guessed that the boy had misinterpreted it as anger at the mishap. He also knew Boromir well enough that he knew if left to his own jump-first-think-later method of problem solving he was only going to make the situation worse. He could already see the impulse to grab Xander and ask what the hell was going on starting to flicker across his face and so intervened. He quickly stepped forward and put a staying hand up to Boromir while looking calmly at Buffy. 

“We apologise for the misunderstanding. It appears Xander thought Boromir to be angry while he is in fact merely in discomfort from the collision. We apologise for unduly worrying you Xander but it was truly a misunderstanding, nothing more, nothing less. The game was fun and it is a shame it had to end in such a manner, it was pleasant to see such fun being had by all in times such as these. Boromir feels no anger toward you for the accident, he was merely discomfited by the results.”

Seeing Buffy calming considerably Aragorn looked to Boromir. Boromir looked back at him in incomprehension for a moment before he realised what was expected of him.

“Yeah. Misunderstanding.”

This eloquent speech merely reinforced Aragorn and Legolas determination to never let him anywhere near negotiations or politics of any variety. Gimly thought he was very wise to let Aragorn speak and save himself a job. Buffy was looking a little abashed at her threatening stance toward Boromir but didn’t regret it as she would happily do so again if it made Xander feel even one iota better after an episode like that. Willow was still trying to calm Xander, as he hadn’t really heard anything that Aragorn had said and she knew it would take a while. Then Boromir shocked everyone and came close to being killed by Buffy, Willow, Aragorn and Legolas as he decided in all his veritable wisdom to do things his way. He was a man of actions, not words, and the best way he could think of to solve this problem was to ‘show’ Xander he meant him no harm. He stalked the two paces to Willow and Xander and grabbed the boy out of Willows arms and into his own. To Boromir it couldn’t be simpler, he showed the boy that he was near him and wasn’t hurting him, and it couldn’t go wrong. Luckily, he was right. 

When Xander felt the big hard hand come down on his shoulder he froze in fear. He was swung around involuntarily by the strength of the man and started shaking uncontrollably. It took a few seconds to realise that the man was in fact hugging him and not trying to beat the crap out of him, which shocked the hell out of him. He slowly relaxed into the hug and eventually lent a little closer, which is when he found the reason for Boromir’s earlier ‘discomfiture’ and couldn’t help blushing as he quietly gasped. Boromir noticed Xander noticing and grinned a little, giving the boy a quick squeeze and whispering in his ear before letting him go.

“Sorry, you can do it again in privet if you like though.”

Xander’s blush came close to terminal at that point.


	7. Person of Interest

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Not a happy snippit.

POI John Shower Snippet

Right after S1 E1: Many Happy Returns.  
************

John moved slowly and carefully through the apartment looking around only on instinct, stripping his clothes and, for the first time in many years, dropping them where ever they landed, he didn’t have the energy or the inclination to care, it wasn’t like it made any difference. It wasn’t like anything really made a difference, did it? He really was useless and so, so stupid! He couldn’t believe he had done it again, fallen for the 'duty and purpose' spiel, believed that someone might believe in him, that he could be worth believing in.

He made his way slowly around the huge and terrifyingly open space, unable to ignore the huge windows that left him exposed to any and every thing. He pushed his instincts back as far as they would go and opened the only 'proper' door in the open plan apartment, finding the bathroom he had known he would and dropped the last of his clothes as he stumbled through the door, too tired and defeated to even care that his boxer-briefs had blocked the door from closing. He paid enough attention to the shower to make it hot and walked into the stall, glad it was roomy but enclosed, not even really noticing there were several different heads pouring water over every inch of him, just knowing that it was hot and wet, and that was all that mattered. He stood silently still under the barrage of scalding water, a tiny voice in the back of his head telling him just how stupid this was, just one more stupid, useless fuck-up in a long life full of them, telling him that no matter how much the scalding water hurt it would never be enough to wash him clean, never be enough to fool someone as good as Harold into believing he could be trusted, because he was a monster, an unmitigated and irredeemable monster, and anyone who looked would see that, he couldn’t hide it. 

He couldn’t ignore the voice, however hard he tried, but he couldn’t stop trying either, so he stayed in the water, only moving to raise the temperature when his nerves deadened enough that it felt bearable. He stood there, skin burning, his mind racing over every mistake he had made, every way in which he had failed, failed his self and Harold, a man much too good to be sullied by the likes of him. He didn’t know when the tears had started, it didn’t matter, it never did, it never had, he didn’t even remember when he had fallen to the floor and curled in on his self, balled up in the shower pan as the burning water pounded him, body wracked with deep heart wrenching sobs as his mind refused to let him go, just continued to pound him with every mistake he had ever made, doing so much more damage than the water ever could.

************

Harold was in one of his Town cars, he didn’t use them much any more, he just had them drive around empty or ferry other employees to keep up his covers, but tonight he had used one to take him to the bench under the bridge to meet with John and decided he might as well go to dinner before he went back to one of his dwellings. He had just left the restaurant when his mobile had vibrated to tell him he had an incoming call. There were a few Social Security numbers that he had specifically looked up, found the corresponding code and memorised them, so when he heard the borrowed voices from his personal phone, the shock of the Machine contacting him personally was over ridden by the fear from hearing John's number. It didn’t stop with just the number though, it then proceeded to give him the address of the new flat he had just given John, which he in turn gave his driver, along with instructions to get there an hour ago. 

It took him twenty minutes to get there, and another five to get up to the apartment, thanking his paranoia for keeping the spare key, and let his self in. he hadn't stopped for a moment to think about how he was supposed to help John, or what danger he might be in and from whom, he just had to get there. He saw the steam coming from the bathroom as soon as he got the door open, though at first he thought it was smoke it was soon obvious it wasn’t. he made his way to the open door as fast as he could and walked straight in, pausing at the wall of steam then pushing forward. His glasses were too steamed up to see anything, so he took them off, shoving them in a pocket as he turned the shower off. 

That was when he heard John for the first time, the keening being too quiet to hear over the cascading water. The sight of John curled into a ball that should have been too small to be possible, keening, skin red and on the verge of blistering was bad enough, but when John realised he was there and started whining and stuttering 'apologies', he realised this was as much his fault as anyone's and couldn’t hold back the tears. He reached out to John and realised just how hot the water must have been as he pulled back from the searing heat of his skin. He thought for a moment, then turned the temperature down on the shower and switched it back on as soon as he was out of the way, letting the warm water wash over John, hoping to draw the heat out of him before he truly burned. He stripped down to his briefs and stepped into the shower, carefully sliding down the wall so he could pull John's head into his lap, petting his hair as he started talking to him, trying to ignore the stream of apologies still coming from John.

"I have failed you John. You will never know just how sorry I am, and I can never hope to make up for what I have done. But I can't allow you to do this to your self John. I should never have allowed it to go this far, I should have known, should never have trusted the CIA's evaluations. As near-perfect as you are, you are still human, and I should have remembered that, I am so sorry John, so sorry."

John had gone silent when he started talking, laying with his head on his lap and blinking up at him in shock, not really believing he was there, let alone saying what he thought he was hearing. He tried for a moment to shake off the vision, but even though he knew he didn’t deserve it he wanted it to be true so much, so his heart wasn’t really in it. He stopped fighting it, that tiny voice in the back of his head telling him he was still under the burning water, dying, his mind doing its best to protect him from this one last mistake, letting him pass more peacefully than he had any right to expect, and as it was all in his head there was no need to fight anything any more, so he smiled at Harold.

"Thank you Harold."

His voice was rough, slower than usual and barely audible but Harold wouldn’t have missed a word if his life depended on it, leaning in as close as he could, still running his fingers through his hair hoping it was soothing John even half as much as it was him.

"I'm sorry I never told you enough, but I couldn’t chance you seeing, and making me leave. I couldn’t lose you. I thought if I could just hide it long enough, make you see I could do the job, wouldn’t let it get in the way, maybe you would ignore it, let me stay. But you saw the monster instead, even though I kept him caged, you still saw him, everyone does in the end."  
"Oh John! No! you aren't a monster, I never thought you were or I would have never searched so hard for you! I chose you because you 'aren't' a monster John! Out of all the men I searched through, even those I employed while I was waiting for you, no matter their skills they all lacked the one thing I needed most, humanity! They all lost theirs John, they gave it up, or never had it in the first place, but not one of them had any humanity left! That was why I fought so hard to find and keep you John! The rest of you is the bonus, your humanity is why I need you, why I love you."

John smiled so sadly.

"I wish I could believe you would have said that. I can't even convince myself I could be worth it. It was nice to hear it once though."  
"I'll keep saying it until you believe me John, I love you."

John huffed his wry amusement. 

"Even my subconscious is stubborn. What the hell, I lived deluding myself, why not die the same way?"  
"You aren't dying John, though you did a good job of trying to boil your self you stubborn fool! Have you even slept since you left for Mexico? I know you wont have eaten enough you infuriating man. As soon as you've stopped glowing we can get you to bed, then when you wake up we can get you fed. After that we will talk Mr Reese, and we will set a few ground rules about things like eating and sleeping, and disappearing for days on end without word, and ignoring my calls, and removing the battery from your phone! And then we shall discuss exactly what constitutes a lie, because I feel I made a grave error in judgement when I purposefully mislead you, though I thought at the time I had very cleverly avoided actually lying. And after that we shall discus the difference between not trusting 'you' and not trusting the CIA's version of 'appropriate force' and 'reasonable response', because there is a vast difference between the two John, a vast difference!"

John was still watching him avidly, not willing to miss a single moment of this death induced vision, but he was starting to wonder. He was not a man prone to knowingly deluding his self, and he had been trained in anti-torture techniques most people would never dream of, so he wasn’t easy to deceive, despite his bone deep need to believe in what he was doing, so when he first questioned the vision it should have been enough to end it. The fact that it didn’t end, while comforting in some ways, was disquieting in so many others, and made him question things a little more closely. He frowned up at Harold, looked down at his own naked body, still bright red and painfully hot but cooling thanks to the much cooler water now gently soothing him, then looked back to Harold. He finally took note of the feel of Harold's fingers running through his hair, soothing with a hint of pain from his scalded scalp, the sting of the cool water that was making him hurt even as it drew the burn out, the rough floor beneath him and Harold's thigh pillowing his head, and silk boxer-briefs in place of the functional 'tighty-whiteys' he had always imagined him wearing. That was what really did it, the silk underwear, the one thing he would never have imagined Harold wearing. 

"You're real?"

Harold heaved a sigh of relief as John finally caught up with reality, it was at least one less worry, he hadn't completely lost his mind.

"Yes John, and I meant every word. We will be having a long discussion once you have slept and eaten, in that order."

John shook his head in disbelief for a moment, unable to make this mesh with his 'known' reality, to get his head around Harold sitting almost naked in the shower with him completely naked as his body tried to recover from serious scalding, and wondered if he had finally lost his mind completely.


End file.
